I love domestic thrillers and Gillian McAllister’s latest release, FAMOUS LAST WORDS is no exception. Fast-paced, gripping and full of suspense, I was hooked from page one. With well developed characters, a unique storyline, and plenty of twists the execution was perfect! I definitely recommend for fellow thriller lovers.

This one was just okay for me. I attempted to start it several weeks ago but couldn’t get into it. Picked it back up on publishing day and while I found the first part of the book intriguing, everything else felt very slow and predictable.
Perhaps it is just me but I knew the twist from the beginning. Nothing seemed to cause me to to “woah I didn’t already see that”. And for that reason this was just an okay read for me. I can see though where it might be a good book for people who do not typically read mysteries for that reason.
I received an ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

Wow!!! This novel has the most tense twists and turns. A hostage situation is happening in London and the main character thinks her husband is one of the hostages. Turns out he is the one taking hostages. Nothing is what it seems in this fast paced thriller.

Camilla (Cam) and Luke Deschamps are parents to 9-month-old Polly. Today is the first day back at work from maternity leave for Cam and the first day she will be leaving Polly at nursery. She is surprised that Luke is not home to help and bolster her up for these big changes.

Cam is a literary agent and Luke is a ghostwriter. They have a loving relationship and Luke is so helpful. Yet, Cam has noticed he has been a little on edge lately but nothing to worry about.

Back in the office, the television shows a hostage situation unfolding with three people tied up in a warehouse and a man with gun pointing it at their heads. That man is Luke!!

Naill Thompson is an experienced hostage negotiator and is immediately assigned to the case. Cam is contacted by the police and taken to the hostage site. While they hoped to get Cam to talk to Luke, shots ring out. One hostage had been released and the other two are killed. But Luke escapes.

Seven years later, Luke has not been found and Cam has just signed papers declaring him dead. Life has been difficult for her but she struggles to go on. Niall has been blamed for not sending in police to kill Luke instead of trying to negotiate with him. He has a hard time living with that. When Cam receives a strange text, she wonders if it could be Luke trying to communicate with her.

Oh, my goodness. This book is a total mess. The first book I have read by this author and I’m sure it will be the last. Such a confusing and dull book. I kept trying to find a real story in this book but it is truly a train wreck. Sorry, but this is not for me.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was so fun. The beginning was such a page turner. It slowed down for me during part 2 but I started putting clues together and did guess the ending, but the reveal was still fun. The only other book I’ve read by this author is wrong place wrong time which I remember none of so this one I would say is my fave of hers.

I absolutely binged this one! I love the combination of suspense, romance, and emotional depth, which creates a rollercoaster ride of twists, tension, and heartfelt moments. The plot revolves around a hostage situation, a missing husband, and a wife’s desperate search for answers. The pacing is excellent, with captivating character exploration.

McAllister’s writing immediately hooked me! I love how many chapters end with a cliffhanger, which adds to the story's addictiveness. The plot blends elements of thriller and romance. While the hostage situation and police investigation create plenty of suspense, there is also a touching love story between Cam and her husband, Luke, which adds emotional depth. The dual POV from Cam and Niall (the detective) provides a richer understanding of the unfolding drama—Cam grapples with her inner turmoil as she questions her husband's involvement in a crime. At the same time, the police struggle to piece together the case with minimal clues. I appreciate both Cam and Niall's character arcs.

I split my time between both the physical book and the audiobook. This is my first audiobook narrated by Emilia Fox, and she’s a perfect choice. I could feel Cam's inner turmoil as she grappled with the contrast between the Luke she loved and his criminal actions.

Other Highlights: Cam’s love of books (easy escape from reality!), Niall’s eventual openness to therapy, young Polly’s insight that good people do bad things but for good reason

I've read my fair share of thrillers and this one had a fresh, unique take. The character development was fantastic and I think any thriller fan will really enjoy it. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review - pub day is today, 2/25/25!

Have you ever woken up in the morning and just had this feeling inside telling you something is wrong or off? A feeling that whispers instinctively to be on guard? Something is coming.

Camilla wakes up the morning of June 21st and instinctively knows something isn’t right. She can’t pin it down, but it’s about an hour before her world is about to change forever.

I’m a huge Gillian McAllister fan. Her thrillers are impeccably crafted: suspenseful, propulsive, engaging, treacherous, and filled with some of the most excellent twists and turns I’ve read. One of the things I love most about her books, though, is how accessible they are for readers. In my opinion, Gillian McAllister is a thriller writer that’s fantastic for any level of thriller reader. If someone asked me what author I’d recommend to someone who’s just starting to read thrillers, I’d recommend McAllister over any other author. Likewise, I’ll never stop telling experienced thriller readers to read her books too (if they haven’t already).

Domestic thrillers aren’t usually my jam unless there’s feminine rage involved, but I can’t resist how utterly human McAllister crafts her characters. I cried a lot in the first half of this book as I sympathized with Camilla and her complex emotional processes surrounding her husband, her daughter, and her life in the wake of the events that unfold in the beginning of the book. I teared up for the sake of her daughter and what her future might be like. I got angry and frustrated and anxious, too.

The blurb for this book had the good sense to stay vague, and I’ll stay vague as to the rest too. Rest assured, McAllister wrote another banger novel and I loved every page. 5⭐️

🩶 What to Expect 🩶

🍒 Triple POV
💣 Literary agent protagonist
🍒 Cop protagonist
💣 Anonymous protagonist
🍒 Two time skips
💣 Maternal guilt
🍒 All he left was a note
💣 Bad things could happen to me
🍒 Being a cop is an antisocial job
💣 Everyone on Earth wants something
🍒 Instinct vs. rules
💣 Is this my fault?
🍒 There was Before and now there is After
💣 And just like that you fall apart
🍒 Am I being watched?
💣 Constantly conflicting emotions
🍒 Books: One of life’s great comforts
💣 You can’t solve everything by just Googling it, sadly
🍒 A hidden code
💣 There’s McDonalds everywhere


I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Crime Thriller/Domestic Thriller/Suspense Mystery

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book, like several others from this author, had me hooked from the first pages. Readers are immediately thrown into a high-stakes situation, which made me see things through the eyes of the FMC. This book was fast-paced, with MCs that I was rooting for. I was able to guess one of the twists in the book, but didn’t see any of the other puzzle pieces until the author revealed them. Definitely recommend giving this one a read, but be sure to set a bunch of time aside because you’re not going to want to put this one down!

Camilla is ready to return to work after months of maternity leave. But her morning takes a terrifying turn when she wakes up to find her husband, Luke, missing, leaving only a cryptic note behind. Then the news breaks: a hostage situation is unfolding in London, and it seems that Luke is involved.

Gillian McAllister delivers another gripping, thought-provoking thriller that keeps you questioning everything. Famous Last Words is a tense and emotional read that explores love, trust, and the secrets we keep from those closest to us. I enjoyed the twists and turns, the fast pacing, and found myself completely hooked by the plot from start to finish.

Read if you like:
• Psychological thrillers
• Stories about marriage and secrets
• Thought-provoking moral dilemmas
• Multiple POVs

Gillian Mcallister does it again! I loved her wrong place wrong time book, and this one didn't disappoint. She had me twisting and turning around every page, and I'll promptly be buying a copy ASAP.

Thank you Netgalley, Author and William Morrow Books for the ARC.

Camila’s first day back at work after maternity leave should have been just another milestone—exciting, nerve-wracking, but normal. But the news that breaks that morning shatters everything.

A hostage situation. A gunman. And the unthinkable possibility that her husband, Luke—a charismatic ghostwriter, a devoted father—might be the man behind the trigger.

Even more chilling? He left behind a cryptic goodbye note.

How could the man she loves—the man she thought she knew—be capable of this? What pushed him to this breaking point? And what really happened inside that building?
.
I love a good hostage thriller (The Negotiator with Kevin Spacey, anyone?), so I was immediately drawn to this premise. The story unfolds in four acts, alternating between Camila’s and negotiator Niall’s perspectives, adding layers to the suspense.

For Camila, the shock of seeing her husband—an extroverted, doting father—painted as a perpetrator is just the beginning. As the crisis unfolds, so does the unraveling of her life, leaving her with more questions than answers. Meanwhile, Niall, the negotiator, finds himself obsessing over the case in ways that threaten his own personal life.

The book is fast-paced with an addictive narrative that kept me turning pages. While I guessed the major twist early, the why behind it and the unexpected reveals still made for an intriguing read. The mix of personal drama and high-stakes tension added depth, though some parts felt predictable.

3.5/5 🌟 read for me.
A gripping premise with solid twists, perfect for fans of emotional thrillers.

Camilla's life is about to change and in a different way then she is anticipating. It is her first day back from maternity leave, she is dropping her daughter off at daycare for the first time. Her emotions are high as a new Mom. What makes it even harder is that her husband is mysteriously gone. She assumed he would go with her to drop their daughter off for her first day, but instead he has left a strange note behind. She does drop off on her own, and is now at work trying to settle in when the unexpected happens. The television comes on with breaking news. A gunman has 3 hostages in a warehouse. Her phone rings. The police say that her husband is involved.... he is the gunman.
Review:
3.5 stars
Famous Last Words starts off fast paced. It is enthralling and captured my attention right away. The stakes are high and I had so many questions. The middle part of this, for me, was slow. It lost me a little bit with the organized crime aspects (completely a me problem - not my favorite trope). The ending picks up again with high stakes and a lot of action. I liked the back and forth chapters between the hostage negotiator and Camilla. I was pleasantly surprised with how this ends and did not guess the perpetrators. Although I did have strong suspicions of one of the characters that was involved. Overall, I enjoyed this one and recommend picking it up!
Thank you to NetGalley, Gillian McAllister, and William Morrow for this ARC of Famous Last Words in exchange for an honest review!

FAMOUS LAST WORDS | Gillian McAllister
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Format: 🎧 thank you for my gifted audio book, @librofm!!!

I feel like Gillian McAllister does such a good job at crafting a mystery/thriller that keeps you completely captivated and drawn in with twists that you couldn’t have imagined. I vividly remember her last two books. I was so, so excited to read this one!

I feel like this starts with a bang! Instant action with things happening that have you truly questioning everything. The middle and ending kind of lagged a bit for me. I guessed where this was going pretty quickly, but despite those things I still really enjoyed this!

One thing I did love was the subtle romance throughout. I can’t imagine being in Camilla’s place, but if I was I wonder what I would do and how much I would hold on? Ugh, these things do get me!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #WilliamMorrow for the book #FamousLastWords by #GillianMcAllister. I loved this book with all the conspiracy, secrets and the huge plot twist. Camilla and Luke are happily married with an infant. When Camilla finds a cryptic note on their table, she didn’t think much of it. That is, until the police show up at her work to tell her about a hostage situation, and the gunman is her husband. Why is he doing this? He is such a great man and would never do anything to hurt a single person. Will she ever find out the truth?

I loved McAllister’s most popular release, Wrong Place Wrong Time, as I felt the storytelling was quite creative. I liked her next book, Just Another Missing Person, which had some pretty great twists. But her newest book was just not for me.

The book is broken down into four acts. The first act sets the stage with a hostage situation. The second act is very slow and I was bored through most of it, but parts of the mystery are revealed near the end. The third act is where the action picks up again, when the story reaches its climax and things start to finally come together. The fourth is the conclusion and it was fine, and that basically sums up my feelings. It was fine. Should I have stopped reading? Probably. Will I read her next book? Most likely, but it won’t be a priority.

Camilla returns to work following maternity leave.
She wakes up to find her house empty and that her husband has left with only a note that leaves her wondering "Why didn't he say Good-bye"?
Then.. while at work, she finds out her husband is in the middle of a hostage situation and that he is the kidnapper.
The story continues in 7 year time gaps as Camilla tries to resume her life, always wondering if her husband Luke is alive…I really enjoyed reading Famous Last Words. It was a very quick read, fast paced and well written. It was almost a love story/thriller which is an interesting combination but it worked. I definitely recommend this one. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC.

Thank you @gillianmauthor @williammorrowbooks
The twists were amazing, thought I knew what was going to happen and was fooled wrong TWICE!
Also, I love learning new words and there were so many British terms I wasn’t familiar with that I learned so many.

This book was exactly what I needed. From the second I picked it up, I could not put it down. It moved quickly, the characters were incredibly well done. I found that I put myself in their shoes at many different points of the book. I loved that the book started the day that new mom, Camille, dropped her daughter off at daycare for the first time. It is also the day that her husband is the gunman in a hostage situation. The book switches to 7 years after the incident - we get to see where life takes the characters and the questions the characters have asked themselves for many years. Lots of twists and turns - unfortunately some I was able to easily predict. But it did not stop me from flying through this book.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

This had such an interesting premise--Camilla sees on the news that her husband is involved in a hostage situation, but he's not a victim, he's the one holding hostages--but while it had some good twists, I didn't entirely love it.
*
It starts off so exciting, but very quickly slows down pretty dramatically. The middle half of the book is still interesting, but very different from the rest. It's more about examining how Camilla is handling the grief of what her husband has done, as well as some separate issues her sister is dealing with, and their relationship with each other.
*
There are several twists that completely surprised me, so that was fun. But there were some major aspects of the mystery that just weren't particularly logical, so I have a hard time looking past that. The other thing I don't like is just how often Camilla talks about her husband being "good", and there are separate references to other characters being "bad", it left everything to be very black and white, without room for any nuance in the characters.
*
Not a bad read, but not my favorite.